As a self-proclaimed wellness enthusiast, I am constantly exploring both physical health and spiritual wellness trends. As a seeker of non-traditional self-love techniques as well, the chance to experience a sacred cacao ceremony partnered with shamanic breath work at Okra yoga studio recently presented an opportune moment.

Raw, ceremonial-grade cacao has been used for centuries to unlock euphoric states, release negative emotions and connect to pure heart chakra energy — all things that I seek on a fundamental level. So, I signed up.

Even though I can count the times I’ve done breath work on one hand, I still had enough experience to create an inkling of what to expect. However, the raw cacao element was unfamiliar. While similar to the more well-known cocoa, “these days ‘cacao’ usually refers to raw vegan chocolate products which come from unroasted cacao (chocolate) beans and are minimally processed with no additives,” according to food blog The Spruce Eats.